July 2003 Reviewed by Roger Kanno	Pioneer Elite DV-45A Universal Audio/Video Player

Description Model: Pioneer Elite DV-45A Price: $700 USD Dimensions: 16.6"W x 2.75"H x 11"D Weight: 5.75 pounds Warranty: Two years parts and labor Features DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, CD, VCD, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, and MP3 playback Built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding	Features (cont'd) TruSurround virtual-surround decoding by SRS Bass management Adjustable channel levels and delays PureCinema progressive-scan video output Slow-motion playback 192kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown audio DACs 54MHz/10-bit video DACs Component-video and S-video outputs Video parameter adjustments Detachable power cord

Pioneer was the first company to offer a "universal" audio/video player, the DV-AX10, back in 2000. And while many manufacturers have yet to produce such a machine, Pioneer makes several different models to choose from. The DV-AX10 is reportedly an amazingly good player, but it costs an equally amazing $6000, which puts it out of the reach of all but the most serious and affluent audio/video enthusiasts. Pioneer now has two more affordably priced Elite-branded universal players including the DV-45A, which is the less expensive of the two and the subject of this review.

At a suggested retail price of $700, the DV-45A is still pricey when compared to most standard DVD-V players, but it is the least-expensive universal audio/video player currently available from any major manufacturer.

It looks like a DVD player

The DV-45A has the black-gloss faceplate common to all Pioneer Elite products, but other than that, it does not look much different from most DVD players. Like many players these days, it is a very compact unit with a relatively small LED display panel that conveys its basic operating parameters. The onscreen display is far more comprehensive and provides all of the necessary information on the player’s status and the audio format of the disc that you are playing. The menu system is easy to use and relatively intuitive; it is controlled by a good remote that incorporates a stubby joystick-type controller and a jog-shuttle dial.

Around back there is a bank of six analog audio outputs for multichannel use along with separate stereo outputs as well as coaxial and TosLink digital outputs. The DV-45A provides a component-video output, in addition to S-video and composite-video outputs, as expected. Progressive scan is selected via a button on the front panel, which has an indicator light to signal that mode. A removable power cord utilizing the small two-pin connector found on many electronic devices (such as video-game consoles, cable and satellite boxes, as well as DVD players) is also included.

It works like a DVD player

The DV-45A allows you to set channel delays by measuring the distance from the listening position to each speaker and entering those values to the nearest half-foot. Levels can be adjusted from minus 6dB to plus 6dB in increments of 0.5dB. Simple bass management is available by selecting Large or Small for the speakers and On or Off for the subwoofer, with a fixed but unspecified crossover frequency. The bass management functions with SACD and DVD-A, but seems to continue to send a full-range signal to channels designated as Small, in addition to sending the low-frequency information to the subwoofer. The DV-45A has picture controls (albeit with very coarse adjustments) for sharpness, contrast, chroma, and hue, but it lacks a gamma control. There is also a setting called Fine Focus that Pioneer claims reduces video noise and increases the horizontal resolution to 540 lines for the interlaced output.

I inserted the Pioneer Elite DV-45A into my reference system with its six-channel analog outputs connected to a Bel Canto PRe6 multichannel preamplifier using Audio Magic’s excellent and reasonably priced Xstream interconnects. The DV-45A performed all audio processing (DVD-A, SACD, Dolby Digital, and DTS decoding, bass management, and channel delays) except for level matching of the channels, which the PRe6 handled. I conducted all video evaluations using the component-video outputs.

It has a great picture for a DVD player

I was able to assess only the interlaced picture of the DV-45A on a 4:3 television because I did not have a progressive-scan-capable video display at my disposal. After recalibrating my 32" direct-view Toshiba with the DV-45A as the source, I obtained a pleasing picture that was vibrant and punchy, yet quite natural. For example, outdoor scenes exhibited vivid colors, but were not overly saturated.

I sometimes perceived that the picture was slightly on the dark side, but this was preferable to an overly bright picture with excessive contrast; the kind that may be eye catching, but not particularly accurate. For example, the opening dance sequence from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is full of super-saturated pastel colors that the DV-45A was able to reproduce with subtle shading. These colors were even evident on complex surfaces such as articles of clothing.

Shadow detail in Blade II was very good with delineation of the many different shades within the dark interior shots that are prevalent throughout the film. While bright flashes of color from disintegrating vampires and explosions emerged from the darkness in these scenes, the delicate gradation of the shadows was never lost. Overall, the interlaced 4:3 picture of the DV-45A was one of the best that I have seen.

It doesn’t sound like an ordinary DVD player, though

The DV-45A has nearly all of the features that you could possibly want in a DVD audio/video player, but the main reason for purchasing this unit would be for its audio quality. Most people who purchase a universal audio/video player such as this will no doubt be concerned with how it sounds and the DV-45A should satisfy both multichannel-music enthusiasts and home-theater buffs.

Because the DV-45A is a universal audio/video player, I did most of my critical listening with DVD-Audio discs and SACDs. One of the best multichannel-music recordings I have heard is Aaron Neville’s latest DVD-A release, Believe [Silverline 288131-9], which has incredibly well-recorded vocals and an aggressive but effective surround mix. Neville’s voice on "Going Home" possessed a crystalline quality that was clean and clear, and the background singers provided a lush atmosphere that emanated from all channels. "Oh Happy Day" exhibited the same incredible fidelity, but with a more active surround mix that was catchy and captured the cheerful essence of this tune. Guitars originated from the surround speakers with good image specificity and a realistic truth of timbre. Everything on this disc was reproduced with a sparkling and transparent quality.

On the more complex and tremendously dynamic DVD-A of the Blue Man Group’s Audio [Virgin 7243 4 77893 9 7], the DV-45A was able to sort out the multi-layered instrumentals that bounce frantically from speaker to speaker. The bass guitar on "Rods and Cones" was well defined, and the strange-but-cool-sounding percussive effects panned smoothly from the left to right and from the front to back of the room. All of the tracks ranging from the energetic "TV Song" to the more measured "PVC" were wonderfully open with a large soundstage and excellent low-level detail that imaged so well that it was sometimes spooky.

SACDs were also realistically rendered with the DV-45A. The Police’s Every Breath You Take: The Classics [A&M 069 493 607-2], which lacks slightly in fidelity when compared to the very best contemporary multichannel recordings, still sounded outstanding. Although this SACD is superior to any previous CD version, the DV-45A revealed the slight veiling that is present on tracks taken from earlier albums such as "Don’t Stand So Close to Me" and "Roxanne," where Sting’s vocals could sound slightly distant. Later tracks from Synchronicity such as "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" exhibited a higher level of fidelity with images that could float almost hypnotically among all of the five speakers.

The added resolution from DVD-Audio discs and SACDs provided a high level of fidelity that was unexpected. Its clean, transparent sound could sometimes seem a bit forward, but not excessively so, and its highs remained quite smooth even with all of the detail that it managed to extract.

The DV-45A also holds its own when playing film soundtracks. The sound design of Minority Report is not as flashy as some, but it is actually a very involving and subtle mix. For instance, when Tom Cruise manipulates the images on the holosphere in the control room at the Department of Precrime, the atmospheric music created a kind of surreal ballet. Foley effects precisely tracked the incoming video images as he moves them between the multiple screens.

Later in the same movie, the advertising slogans, as Cruise approaches the entrance to the subway, were totally immersive as the holograms swirled around him and the audio floated freely from every speaker. Onboard the subways the sounds of the moving train were realistic but subdued, so that you might overlook them on a system that could not reproduce this delicate detail. As the action picks up when Colin Farrell’s character chases him through the car factory, the DV-45A easily handled the jolting sound of some sort of stun gun and the buzzing of welding lasers from every direction.

It also makes a great CD player

I found the DVD-45A’s performance to be quite good as a standalone CD player. I enjoyed its clean, detailed sound that presented images solidly and precisely in the soundstage with a lively presentation that remained smooth and enjoyable even after extended listening. In day-to-day use, I could not find anything even remotely objectionable about its sound. While casual listeners will be pleased with its CD performance, serious listeners may want to connect the DV-45A’s digital output to a high-quality surround processor or even an outboard two-channel DAC. The good news is that like several Pioneer DVD players that I have used, the DV-45A makes a capable CD transport. I did not hesitate to use it with my MSB Link DAC in my reference system where it was right at home.

Comparison

The DV-45A is priced similarly to the now-discontinued JVC XV-721BK DVD-Audio player ($899)) that I have been using in my reference system for the past year. Although the video performance of the JVC can be a bit unpredictable at times, its interlaced 4:3 output is strikingly good, with exceptional color fidelity and a sharp picture. For example, in the video montage from Video Essentials, not only were the colors slightly brighter and seemingly more accurate with outdoor scenes, but the detail in very small objects was more apparent. Shadow detail was also somewhat smoother and more gradual, which resulted in shadows that looked a little more realistic and less like black cutout objects. Ultimately, I preferred the video quality of the JVC, but the differences between the two players were relatively minor and I could happily live with the picture of the DV-45A.

The JVC provided a very different sonic presentation from that of the DV-45A. The JVC player had a richer sound that was pleasing, but resulted in a noticeable masking of detail. This was especially evident with low frequencies on tracks such as "Gotta Serve Somebody" from the aforementioned Believe DVD-A. With the DV-45A the bass was punchy and dynamic, and although the JVC player did not lack any bass output, it definitely did not have the same amount of definition by comparison. This was also noticeable on the opening organ notes of "Amazing Grace," which were just a little too full and prominent with the JVC.

One thing that the JVC player did portray better was a sense of depth, with Neville’s vocals seemingly originating from further behind the speakers than with the DV-45A. However, the outlines of images on individual instruments and Neville’s voice were less distinct and lacked some focus that made the DV45A seem more transparent by comparison. On movie soundtracks such as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Special Extended Edition), the massing Orcs in chapter 36, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm," also sounded further back in the caverns with more reverberation from the JVC player. But again, the bass was a little too rich and the chorus in the orchestral score sounded somewhat homogenous. While the JVC XV-721BK did manage to edge out the Pioneer DV-45A in terms of video quality, the Pioneer was clearly the winner when it came to audio performance.

Conclusion

Considering its price, performance, and features, the Pioneer Elite DV-45A is an outstanding machine. While it may not be in the same league as some of the ultra-expensive multichannel players on the market today, the DV-45A will provide its owner with transparent, detailed sound from multichannel recordings and good overall picture quality. At its price, the DV-45A can be considered a bargain for anyone considering the purchase of an entry-level universal audio/video player.   

Manufacturer contact information:

Pioneer Electronics Inc.
P.O. Box 1760
Long Beach CA 90801-1760
Phone: (800) 421-1404

Website: www.pioneerelectronics.com 

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